How do you get MORE out of your existence?

How do you Get MORE out of your existence?

I read this question over at MoveNourishBelieve.

It resembles a question I asked myself 12 years ago.

You see back then MORE meant do, do, do and believe me I did, did, and did.

I could dazzle you with an exhausting list of daily, weekly monthly achievements.   My MORE was all about the tasks I ticked off, the number of people I crammed into my social calendar, the hobbies I juggled, and the workouts I completed.  I spent years gobbling up productivity books and time management tools, mastering the art of getting it all done and then adding some MORE.

There were moments when my sense of achievement far outweighed my exhaustion.  My pride nourished me when I had no time for food.  When I was so wired from lack of sleep I tricked myself into believing rest was for the weak.

The cold hard reality was my lists never ended, I craved a now elusive feeling of satisfaction and my perfectionism had become the enemy of done.

I never allowed myself time to be still and even notice my achievements let alone celebrate them.

Sounds pretty…ummm not.

My quest for MORE was leading to LESS.

What was the answer?  It needed to begin with a phenomenal question.

What is my MORE and what does MORE mean to me?

YES TO ME???  This is my life and what strengthens me is specific to me.  My MORE is as unique as I am.

There is no book or website with this answer?

The answer, the wisdom, and the key to unlock the door to living a stronger, happier more successful life was close, very close.  In fact it had been there all the time. This invaluable gem of information was tucked up snugly, tightly aligned with my feelings.

My crazy, clever mind and body had been sending me messages, signs, love notes, nudging me, guiding me towards my strongest most amazing life.  I just wasn’t paying attention.

My outlook on life began to change as I learnt to feel.  I mean truly, deeply, madly feel every ounce of my emotions.  The joy, the bliss the contentment, the happiness, the sadness, the uncomfortable, the painful, and the hesitant.   The physical sensations, the calm, the tension, the bloating, the energy, the niggle in my neck, the ache in my jaw.  I began to feel it all.

I unleashed my feelings, allowed them “air time”, honoured them, and listened to them.

Feelings that escorted me to unique discoveries and nuances

• I am crabby when I am hungry
• Writing in my journal decelerates my self-talk
• I clench my jaw when I procrastinate
• When happy I sing, when tense I don’t
• When I relax I notice patterns in the clouds and the beauty in nature
• Shallow breathing and fast self talk is a sign I am overwhelmed
• I panic when I am running late
• Finishing a task gives me a warm cosy feel
• My greatest spine tingling highs come when I use 20 seconds of courage to take a leap outside my comfort zone.
• I find a pure form of happiness when I express myself creatively
• My body benefits from Pilates and Yoga when stressed not weight training
• 5 minutes of stillness can short circuit my catastrophising
• Organising my week with clear priorities prevents daily panic
• When I say yes and want to say no I drift into a bad mood.

The more I embraced and trusted my feelings the more I learnt to live intuitively.

• I now say yes when it feels right and no when it serves me
• I organise myself to avoid running late
• I finish tasks and high five myself before starting something new
• I fully embrace opportunities to bound outside my comfort zone
• I build uninterrupted creative time into my weekly schedule
• I book regular fitness classes offering a variety of training methods
• I plan my meals and carry healthy snacks to avoid hunger crankiness
• I stimulate my mind with courses, blogs and books
• I maintain regular hobbies
• I spend time everyday looking for the fabulous in my ordinary, I share my discoveries using  #ordinarilyfabulous on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook
• I write here and in my journal regularly

I know my most raw, gutsy, authentic self is waiting patiently in the wings ready to give her most stellar performance at every opportunity.  When I trust my feelings and live instinctively I provide the platform for that self to step forward and shine.

I have discovered MY MORE.

Each and every one of us has our own unique set of messages, woven tightly to our feelings.  Our very OWN MORE waiting to be discovered.

We all have a role we are born to play, inherent qualities that when expressed will leave our heart singing our spine tingling.

Step out this week grab your feelings by the hand and be guided by them as you skip down the path to your very own MORE.

Karen xx